Dance is great for mind, body and soul. Providing a great physical workout and an outlet for creativity. Zeph, member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group, enjoys dancing and leapt at the chance to interview the inspiring James Bamford, founder and CEO of Project Dance, a company he founded at just 14 years of age. Just goes to show, youth can do it!
I decided to interview someone I find inspirational, James Bamford. He is the founder and director of Project Dance, which is a UK based dance company which he started when he was only 14 years old (8 years ago). For those of you who think that you are ‘too young’ to make a difference, or do anything big, James shows just what you can achieve with passion and drive.
Zeph: How did you start Project Dance?
James: I made a dance film on iMovie where I clipped together videos of my friends who sent me small snippets of them improvising/performing/grooving to a song I gave them. I stitched all the clips together and called it Project Dance. These people didn’t necessarily know each other and came from various backgrounds and walks of life. I was excited by the possibility of bringing people together through art.Zeph: What is the ethos behind Project Dance?
James: We make accessible stories, facilitate engagement and break down barriers to the arts because we believe that everyone in the world deserves the chance to experience how dance can reach and serve them in their lives.Zeph: What is your proudest PD moment?
James: This summer we announced a new production’s premiere, a professional tour, a new building and a song release all on the same night – that night will stay with me forever.I’m also very proud of everything that doesn’t get shared publicly, the 1 to 1 mentorship I get to provide to many young dancers and the relationship I have with them is such an immense privilege.
Zeph: What advice or guidance would you offer to any young person aspiring to launch their own venture?
James: Building PD whilst in education was the best unintentional move I’ve ever made. It gave me time to fail without huge risk of repercussion. That opportunity dwindles as you get older. Do the thing. Listen to your gut. Throw the kitchen sink at it. Do not wait for permission. It only gets harder to start the longer you leave it. Lead with your heart. Do it for the right reasons.Zeph: What are your goals for PD? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
James: If James from 5 years ago made a list of his dreams, I can confirm that today’s James has achieved them all. Truly. I can’t tell you how lucky I feel. The next 5 years will inevitably not slow down, I have endless ambitions for scaling internationally, developing our education offering and building our catalogue of work and its reputation, but I’m also going to try and soak it in. That can be hard, but I’m learning that it’s so important.…If you get a chance to watch a Project Dance production I would highly recommend it!
You can find out more about Project Dance on their website
Zeph
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